Alvernia official elected president of Missouri university

Alvernia University's vice president of advancement, Dr. J. Michael Pressimone, has been elected 14th president of Fontbonne University in Clayton, Mo., effective July 1.

He will succeed Dennis C. Golden, president since 1995.Fontbonne is a co-ed, liberal arts Catholic university of about 3,000 students in a suburb of St. Louis. It was founded in 1923 and is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.“We believe Michael will lead the institution to its next level of success through entrepreneurial, transformative and collaborative leadership,” said Gary Krosch, chair of Fontbonne's board of trustees, in a news release. “We searched for a servant-leader who is transparent, forward-thinking and passionate, and who can rigorously advance our goal of becoming a preferred destination for traditional students as well as adult learners.”At Alvernia, Pressimone, 55, has served as vice president of advancement for the past 8 1/2 years.Pressimone designed and launched Alvernia's first comprehensive capital campaign, oversaw the offices of development, alumni relations, and communications and marketing, and served as a key member of the president's cabinet.Last year, Pressimone led Alvernia's capital campaign, raising $31.6 million; the goal was $27 million.He previously was vice president for institutional advancement at Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, N.C., and at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County.“I grew up a blue-collar kid in Baltimore and the first in my family to get a college degree,” Pressimone said. “To become a college president is a dream come true for me. I've aspired to a presidency for many years, and when the opportunity arose I felt it was time to take the reins of leadership.“I am humbled that the board of trustees has selected me as the next president of the university and truly excited to follow in the footsteps of a great president like Denny Golden.”Dr. Thomas F. Flynn, Alvernia president, said the search for Pressimone's replacement will begin immediately.“Mike has been a valuable member of the Alvernia community for eight years,” Flynn wrote in a letter to faculty and staff. “He has played the lead role in organizing Alvernia's Value & Vision capital campaign, the most successful fundraising campaign in the university's history.“He has been a respected member of the cabinet team, an outstanding representative of Alvernia in the local community and a trusted adviser to me. While we will miss him greatly, we rejoice in this professional opportunity for Mike, especially since it keeps him within a Catholic institution where he fits so well.”Pressimone earned a doctorate of education in higher education and organizational change in 2013 from Benedictine University, Lisle, Ill., a suburb of Chicago; a master's degree in 2009 from Regis University, Denver; and a bachelor's in fine arts in 1981 from the Catholic University of America, Washington.Pressimone and his wife, Cathy, are the parents of 12 children.Contact Bruce Posten: 610-371-5059 or bposten@readingeagle.com.